American Life League Calls for Criminal Investigation into Catholic Charities Abortion Scandal

Washington, D.C. (07 July 2008) – American Life League is calling on the Richmond Commonwealth's attorney to conduct a full investigation into the events surrounding an abortion obtained in mid-January by a minor who is a Guatemalan immigrant.

"Recent statements by the Richmond diocese leave more questions than answers," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "A preborn child is dead, and a teenage mother seeking help from a Catholic institution received abortion as an answer. That is the worst form of abuse."

In January, Commonwealth Catholic Charities employees helped a 16-year-old immigrant in their care obtain an abortion by illegally signing a parental consent form. Joanne Nattrass, the charity's executive director, told Bishop DiLorenzo about the abortion scheduled for the following day, but also erroneously told him there was nothing they could do to stop it. Two months earlier, employees of the same organization had facilitated the implantation of a birth control device in the young girl. The bishop did not inform the faithful about the abortion until April, when he sent a letter to his fellow bishops. It wasn't until June 13 that the Wanderer, a national Catholic publication, broke the story.

"A crime was committed by employees who fraudulently filed the paperwork for this young girl to kill her baby, so why weren't the police called?" asked Brown. "How long did Executive Director Joanne Nattrass know about the implantation of the birth control device before she brought it to the bishop's attention? Why did it take a federal investigation and five long months for the bishop to even address this tragedy? Clearly, there is more to this."

American Life League sent a letter on Monday, July 7, to the Commonwealth's attorney asking for an investigation into the Commonwealth Catholic Charities tragedy, so that the two victims of this atrocity will receive the justice they deserve.

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.